Power-driven sleigh



Jui -l, 1924.-

M. DEMANGEON POWER DRIVEN SLEIGH Filed June 12, 1923 Patented July 1,1924.

warren stares MARGEL DEMANGEON, or AMISK, ALBERTA, CANADA.

POWER-DRIVEN SLEIGH.

Application filed June 12, 1923. Serial No. 644,834.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAROEL DEMANGEON, a citizen of France, residing at Amisk, in the Province of Alberta and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power-Driven Sleighs, of which the following is a specification.

This invent-ion relates generally to sleighs, having more particular reference to a mechanically propelled sleigh and to the means for propelling the same. I

The invention has for a general object to provide a novel and simple propelling means for a sleigh comprising reciprocable members adapted to engage the surface on which the sleigh is traveling.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features; of the invention are more particularly setforth.

Fig. l of the drawings is a side view of a sleigh equipped with my improved propelling means.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, but omitting certain parts not connected with the invention.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of one of the reciprocable kickers.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof at right angles to Fig. 4:.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view showing my improved kicker arranged for use in soft snow, this view being taken on the line 66 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary rear View thereof.

Referring now to the drawings my invention is here shown as embodied in a sleigh having front and rear runners 10 and 11 respectively. The front runners may be arranged to be turned for steering purposes by a wheel 12 in any suitable manner. These runners support the body 13 of the sleigh which is here shown as provided with two seats 14 and which supports a gasoline engine 15 of the usual type at its forward end, this engine being enclosed in an. ordinary hood 16.

Fixed on the rear end of the crank shaft of the engine is a bevel gear 21 meshing with a bevel gear 22 on a transverse shaft 23 suitably journaled at its ends in the body of the sleigh. Upon this shaft 23 are fixed a number of eccentrics 25, as here'shown four in number, arranged in two pairs, which serve to operate the kickers which engage the snow or ice on which the sleigh is traveling to propel the latter. kickers are in the form of rigid arms freely engaging the eccentrics at their-upper forward ends and extending rearwardly and downwardly to rest on the snow or ice. These arms each comprise an upper section 27 on which is suitably formed theeccentric strap 28 which engages the eccentric, an intermediate section in the form of a tube 29 screwed at its upper end into the top section 27, and a shoe 30 having a socket into which the lower end of the tube 29 is screwed. This shoe is in the form of a short runner turned up at its front end as at 30. As will be apparent, when the. shaft 23 revolves, the shoes will be caused to have a backward and forward reciprocatory movement relative to the sleigh body.

To cause the shoes to grip 'the-snow or ice when movingbackward, but slide freelythereover when moving forward I' mount slidably in each kicker arm a rod 33 which extends completely through said arm and.

has its lower end pointed as at 33 to dig into the snow or ice. These rods 33 are adapted for reciprocation by means of cam elements such as 34 formed one 011 each of the eccentrics 25, the straps 28' each having an annular interior recess 35 therein .to ac commodate these cams. Upon the upper end of each rod 33 is a head 36 against which the cam 34 bears, while each rod has fixed thereto a short distance below its upper end a collar 37 against which an expansion spring 38, coiled around the rod 33, bears These upwardly to lift the pointed lower end of. I

the rod upward into the confines of the shoe 30. This spring is accommodatedjn the tubular part 29 of the kicker arm and bears at its lower end against theshoe 30. Recesses 40 and 41 are provided in the member 27 to accommodate the head 36 and collar 37 respectively.

For use in comparatively soft snow I may provide supplementary members which are attached to the rods 33. In this arrangement, see Figs. 6 and 7, each rod 33 has a T-shaped fin 45 formed on the rear side thereof and extending through a slot 46 in the lengthened boss 30 in the shoe. To this fin is fixed a U-shaped presser 4:7 by

7 screws 48, the legs of this presser extending downward on opposite sides of the shoe 30 and being guided in grooves 49 in the sides of the latter. Theopresser member 4:7 being rigidly connected to "the end 33, is moved with the latter and since the legs thereof are comparatively wide it provides an increased gripping action on the surface on which the sleigh is traveling. WVhen the sleigh is to travel on ice or sufiiciently hard snow this ,presser can be removed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim asnew and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. In a sleigh, a power device, a series of kicker arms resting freely at their rear ends on the surface on which the sleigh is traveling, eccentrics to which the forward ends of said kicker arms are connected, and means forming an operative connection between said eccentrics and the said power device, and members projected longitudinally ofthe said kicker arms and adapted to project below the latter during their rearward movement only, and cam elements for operating the said members. i

2. In a sleigh, a power device, a transverse shaft driven thereby, a number of eccentrics fixed on said shaft, a number of kicker arms engaged at their forward ends with the said eccentrics and having shoes on their rear ends adapted to rest on the surface on which the sleigh is traveling, and rods extending freely through said arms and adapted to engage the said surface when the kicker arms are moving rearwardly only.

3. In a sleigh, a-power device, a transverse shaft driven thereby, a number of eccentrics fixed on said shaft, a number of kicker arms engaged at their forward ends withthe said eccentrics and having shoes on their rear ends adapted to rest on the sur face on which the sleigh is traveling, and

rods extending freely through said arms and adapted to engage the said surface when the kicker arms are moving rearwardly only, cams fixed to said shaft for moving said rods in one direction, and springs for moving said rods in an opposite direction.

4. In a sleigh, a power device, a transverse shaft driven thereby, a number of eccentrics fixed on said shaft, a number of kicker arms engaged at their forward ends with the said eccentrics and having shoes on their rear ends adapted to rest on the surface on which the sleigh is traveling, and rods extending freely through said arms and adapted to engage the said surface when the kicker arms are moving rearwardly only, and supplementary U-shapedpresser members adapted to be fixed to said rods, said rods having fins thereon projecting through slots in said kicker arms to which said supplementary members may be fixed.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

MARGEL DEMANGEON. 

